The present invention relates to hooks, and, more particularly, to safety hooks which are used to attach a chain to another object; the safety hook having a safety latch over the hook opening which receives the object to which the hook is attached. The safety latch is generally designed to prevent the hook from becoming unintentionally disengaged from the object. For example, a safety chain on a trailer towed behind a motor vehicle is generally used to secure the trailer to the vehicle as a safety measure in case the trailer hitch becomes disengaged. The safety chains are generally secured to the under carriage of the vehicle using safety hooks having a safety latch.
Hooks have been used for years to attach chains to other objects. However, the wire formed or bent safety hooks having latches have not been manufactured with the simplicity one might employ to reduce costs and process steps, or so that the safety hook can easily accept a chain link through the chain link receiving opening. Accordingly, a new design of a safety hook is needed which will avoid these problems and provide a safety hook which can be easily attached to a chain without requiring a further attachment device and which has a simple design which is inexpensively produced.
It will be appreciated from the foregoing, therefore, that prior art devices and methods of making and using these devices present problems that are in need of solutions. It also will be appreciated that further enhancements of the cost effectiveness of the present invention and methods for making the same will provide needed efficiencies for consumers and manufacturers alike. The present invention provides solutions for these and other problems.